- Dixie County's football team lost 49-42 to Lafayette due to a controversial call on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.
- FHSAA Rule 6-2-6 states a kick is dead once it crosses the goal line, so Lafayette's touchdown should not have counted.
- Mid-Florida Officials Association Board of Directors Secretary Carlton Dill apologized to Dixie County coach Andrew Thomas for the officiating error after the game, admitting it was a fundamental mistake.
The Dixie County (Cross City) football team was one of nine area teams that were undefeated heading into this past Friday’s game at Lafayette (Mayo).
They were also one of three who had their dream of an unbeaten season come to an end.
Fort White (3-1) lost at Santa Fe (Alachua), 41-28, in a battle of unbeaten teams and Bell (4-1) lost at home in overtime, 16-13, to Keystone Heights.
But a bad call by the officials contributed to the Bears’ 49-42 loss to the Hornets (2-4) in a Sunshine State Athletic Association (SSAA) contest.
The visiting Bears led the Hornets, 35-28, heading into the fourth quarter and they had the ball inside the Hornets’ 10-yard line.
On fourth down, Dixie County (3-1) lined up for a short 25-yard field goal attempt that would have given the Bears a two-score lead. However, Lafayette blocked the kick, and the ball went into the end zone.
It was picked up by a Hornets player a few yards in the end zone and returned for a touchdown with 10:49 to play.
“Well, huge momentum change; We were up a touchdown before it happened,” said first-year Dixie County coach Andrew Thomas. “Credit them for the block. We didn’t line up correctly and execute.”
The only problem was that the return shouldn’t have counted.
The SSAA follows the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) football rules, which state that if the blocked kick crosses the line of scrimmage and is touched or lands beyond it, the ball becomes dead immediately.
Lafayette, which uses the Mid-Florida Officials Association (MFOA), got stopped on the ensuing 2-point conversion run and still trailed, 35-34, but it gave the host Hornets a big lift.
Thomas questioned the call immediately.
“I did, obviously furious with it, was told because it was tipped,” he said. “Well, that doesn’t matter and I knew that, but my voice wasn’t heard all night.”
Although missed calls, missed holds, etc. are part of the game, Thomas said, “But this is a basic ruling and understanding of basic rules that shouldn’t be missed.”
“Especially when it allowed a TD from it that flips a game around,” he said.
Following a touchback on the kickoff, Dixie County freshman Tycen Dawson fumbled on the first play of their next possession and Lafayette recovered at the Bears’ 25-yard line.
Five plays later, a Lafayette touchdown and 2-point conversion with 8:17 remaining gave the Hornets a 42-35 lead.
Both teams added touchdowns in the final three minutes for the final 7-point margin.
“I will say Lafayette played well and not taking anything away from how they took it to us in a lot of ways and deserved that win as much, but also unfortunate that a call like that happens to us in such a critical time when we had all the momentum.”
MFOA Board of Directors Secretary Carlton Dill sent an apology email to Thomas over the weekend.
“Know that we are not taking this lightly…This is a fundamental in high school football and should never be missed,” Dill wrote. “Better is expected of our officials and crews. I make it a point to remind officials that players and coaches put a lot of hard work into preparing for each season and game. The same preparation is expected of us.”
The game was close throughout and both teams made big plays late in the opening half. Lafayette scored with less than a minute to play in the second quarter for a 21-14 lead, but Dixie County answered with 4.3 seconds left.
Junior quarterback Colt Thomas (9-of-16, 163 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) threw a 35-yard touchdown to freshman wide receiver Keydran Teague, who made the catch at the 16-yard line and zig-zagged his way into the end zone with no time left. Teague had a big night receiving, hauling in five catches for 127 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The extra point tied the game 21-all at the half.
Despite having a young team, Dixie County is averaging 40 points per game and has wins against Vernon, Trenton and Zarephath Academy (Jacksonville).
“Well, it’s been a change of everything for these kids, and we don’t have many kids; we are all Dixie kids,” said Thomas, who has never had a losing season as a head coach. “We are playing six ninth and eighth graders that start, some on both sides. I’m proud of the growth we’ve made and our few older kids working to change the culture, but we still have such a long way to go in areas of the game to be where we ultimately want the program to get to.”
The Bears will travel to Ocala at 7:30 p.m. this Friday to face winless South Marion (0-4), followed by a home game against Chiefland on Oct. 2.